Chapel Hill Real Estate Search

Chapel Hill has some really great restaurants - but where to get a great on-the-go sandwich?   Here are some ideas from someone who doesn’t have much time for the two hour lunch!

Neal’s Deli in Carrboro is already a treasure.  Right next to the Open Eye Cafe, with its award winning barristas.   Their menu changes everyday - but if you are lucky you can get amazing pastrami and their muffuletta is extraordinary.

Now here for my absolute favorite - Sandwhich in the Courtyard on Franklin Street.  Although parking can sometimes be a problem, it is worth it for their tuna salad with thick slabs of crispy bacon.    My mouth litterly waters when I think of it.  (and now I know where i’m taking my 2 year old for lunch after preschool today).    As the weather gets cooler, I also dream about their meatloaf sandwich with fresh beef from Niman’s Ranch.   Add in great salads and soups and you are set for a banquet!  

The staff is great and you can sit out in the Courtyard by the fountain on a sunny day.    They have thick chocolate brownies for dessert or stop off at LocoPops for a treat after lunch.

Bon Appetit!

One of the best things about relocating to the Chapel Hill area is that you will never miss out on a good meal!  Our area is filled with great restaurants - last night my wife and I dined in Provence!  I mean, at Provence in Carrboro.

What a great place.  We had a delicious meal, starting with a salmon terrine and escargots in roguefort!  For my main course, I had the herb crusted rack of lamb - and it was spectacular, with grilled beets and onions and a potato gratin on the side.  My wife went with a special entree - a quartet of fish, including lemon sole meuniere,  sashimi grade tuna au poivre, salmon en papillotte with bernaise sauce and grilled tuna with a fabulous tapenade crust.

We regretfully skipped the desserts to get over to Southern Village and see Mamma Mia at the Lumina.

It was a wonderful evening in Carrboro and Chapel Hill.  Join us!   If you are thinking of relocating to the Triangle, contact Reg Morgan at Prudential Carolinas Realty.  With over 20 years of experience in buying and selling real estate, I will help guide you through your move.

There is a great secret in Chapel Hill that folks who relocate here find out only after a few months or years here - we are a  great restaurant town!   If you are like us, who came from places with great restaurants - New York City and Fairfield County, you can’t tolerate bad food.    Now that going out requires considerable planning for us, it has become even more important that we have a nice meal.

Here are some thoughts now that the weather is getting nicer - outside dining is one of the best things about living in North Carolina.   The chairs and tables will come out this month and we can be out for a lunch as late as December! (well, early December)

A great outdoor dining experience is The Weathervane at Southern Seasons in the University Mall.  You can do shopping there and have a wonderful meal at their enclosed brick patio.  The fountains outside contribute to the feeling that you have found a wonderful oasis from any mall/parking lot feeling.  The food is great and the menu changes seasonally - as it should. 

Down the way is Spice Street with outdoor seating and a more exciting bar scene then our kids can appreciate.    A good place for lunch as they have extensive ‘grab n’go’ offerings that are  good for a seated, but still quick lunch.

Recently my wife and I had a wonderful and romantic meal at Bonne Soiree.  It is a small and elegant, nine table restaurant in the Courtyard on Franklin Street.  The French menu was delicious - and the service was unobtrusive and very knowledgeable.  A real home run for the Chapel Hill restaurant scene.

And I do need to put a word in for my wife’s very favorite restaurant - Watts Grocery on Broad Street in Durham.  Chef Amy Tornquist just brought out her Spring menu, so it is definitely worth a trip over for a great lunch or dinner.

The Chapel Hill real estate market is heating up.  The buyers are coming out and it looks like we are back in business!   If you have questions about our real estate market, call Reg Morgan. 

Well, town has really cleared out following UNC’s winter commencement on Sunday.  This is one of my favorite times - the weather in Carolina, while cold for us, is still so much better then the rest of the country!  How lucky we are with our wonderfully mild climate.

As we look towards the holiday, we are planning great activities for that quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s.  The boys love Kidzu, The NC Museum of Life and Science - and of course, the Morehead Planetarium.  But my wife will insist that we take in the impressionist show at the NC Museum of Art.  We’ll all plan to visit Waraji, a great sushi restaurant in Raleigh on Duraleigh Road

And of course, we’ll ring in the New Year - or at least have a wonderful New Year’s Eve dinner at Watts Grocery.  Amy Tornquist’s new Durham restaurant is always a favorite and the great buzz on that place just keeps growing!

May you have a wonderful, safe holiday.  And of course, if you are thinking about Chapel Hill real estate, call me, Reg Morgan, your Chapel Hill realtor.

Have you heard this rumor yet?  This is big news for foodies in Chapel Hill.  Word has it that Trader Joe’s is moving into the space that Earth Fare will vacate at the end of this month.  Just think…Trader Joe’s could be up and running by this Spring!   We already have a plethora of wonderful food markets - Whole Foods, Weaver Street and of course, the ubiquitous Harris Teeter, but this is really big!

Stay tuned for more info - we’re waiting for the official announcement before we actually make our shopping list!

Good news for those of us who like to visit the great West Franklin Street restaurants. The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership has started valet parking for West End restaurants. The service will be available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 5:00-11:00pm. Visitors interested in using the service just drop their cars with the valets in front of the UNC Information Technology building at 440 West Franklin Street.

The service is free for patrons of 411 West, Bonne Soiree’; Carolina Brewery; Elaine’s on Franklin; The Lantern; Studio Supply; Tallula’s and the West End Wine Bar. You can also just pay $5.00 for the service if you are going to a different restaurant.

A great idea for downtown!

Southern Village in Chapel Hill is a wonderful neighborhood.  Beautiful homes, town homes and condos line the very walkable tree lined streets.   One of the highlights is Market Street with it’s shops, restaurants, Weaver Street Market and the Lumina movie theater.  

Among our favorite restaurants is Merlion.  Merlion has a unique blend of Asian dishes - focusing on the delicious food of Singapore.  We’ve found the warm service and the great food to be a welcome relief from the heat this Summer.  I know we’ll continue to visit as the weather turns cooler.   Check out their anniversary special for the month of September (one more day!), 10% off your meal.

You can also enjoy great food at Pazzo and Town Hall Grill — and don’t forget the gelato at La Vita Dolce.

Southern Village is a great place to live in Chapel Hill.  If you are thinking of buying or selling your Chapel Hill home, call your Chapel Hill realtor with over 20 years of experience — call Reg Morgan.

Take a look at the current Chapel Hill MLS listings and see what’s on the market now.

Saveur magazine has a wonderful little article in it’s October 2006 issue.  Highlighting some of the great restaurants and food purveyors in the Chapel Hill area.  Take a look for yourself here on Lantern’s website where it was reprinted.

The many fine restaurants highlight just one part of the many great reasons why people relocate to Chapel Hill.  Contact Reg Morgan if you are thinking of relocating to Chapel Hill.  As a realtor with more then 20 years of experience, he can guide you through a successful relocation.

Check out the current Chapel Hill MLS listings.

One of the questions I am often asked as a longtime Chapel Hill realtor is what are the best restaurants?  I’ve decided to add some restaurant information to my blog.    We love to eat out in the area — lunch with clients while we review real estate options, dinner with my family or friends.

Friday night we went to one of our favorite spots - Lantern Restaurant on Franklin Street.  My wife got an email earlier in the week telling her about a special crop of Fall asparagus from Cat Briar Farm in Caswell County.   Lantern planned to serve them pan-roasted with butter and soy sauce and a poached Fickle Creek Farm egg.  Since we already planned to attend the Lyle Lovett concert at Memorial Hall, we decided to make a night of it.

Our meal was superb, the fried calamari salad was a wonderful starter.  The lime dressing gives it a wonderful zing.  We also tried the local grass-fed beef salad - seared lemongrass rib eye with chile-lime dressing, fresh herbs, crispy shallots and roasted peanuts.

But my wife’s entree was the best.  As we watched the clock to make sure we made it to Memorial Hall in plenty of time, we were delighted with the coconut braised chicken in a housemade red curry. Topped off with local butternut squash, oak-grown shitakes and spicy braising greens  - the flavor was amazing!

Lantern is closed on Sundays, but open for Dinner six nights a week.  Reservations are only taken for parties of six or more, so be ready for a wait during peak hours.  The bar in back is a great place to hang out while you wait for a table.

Enjoy!  And while you think about the amazing chocolate cake that you will order to top off your meal - check out these Chapel Hill MLS listings.